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Working as Principal Scientist at VTT, Antti Hakola graduated with a Master of Science in Technology from Helsinki University of Technology in 2001 and obtained his Doctorate in 2006. Last autumn, he noticed his alma mater was looking for mentors for its doctoral researchers.

’I had previously participated as a mentor in VTT's own mentoring programmes and knew that mentoring can be a fruitful experience for both parties. It was exciting to have the opportunity to exchange thoughts with a doctoral student and support them in their career reflections in Aalto's Mentoring Programme,’ says Hakola.

Hakola has had a long career in fusion energy research and has also visited international research institutes. His own experience has been a valuable resource in his role as a doctoral student mentor.

’It has been important to note how simply sharing one's own experiences can help the student and bring them clarity, so that their studies and future no longer feel like chaos.’

Individual mentoring themes

The topics covered in mentoring are selected according to the individual needs of the student. Antti Hakola discussed doctoral studies and career opportunities in the fusion energy field with his mentee.

’I had a great mentee with whom we could talk extensively and in depth about various subjects. We discussed ways to advance one's own research, international collaboration opportunities, and a lot about what is generally involved in a researcher's work,’ says Hakola.

The pair met about once a month during the six-month programme. A few meetings were held remotely due to scheduling challenges, but Hakola felt that face-to-face meetings work better.

’Live meetings were clearly more interactive. That's why we aimed to meet in person as often as possible.’

A good agenda helps

At the beginning of mentoring meetings, Hakola and the student exchanged updates and reflected on the previous meeting. After this, they tackled the agenda based on questions and topics prepared by the mentee.

’Meetings flowed forward as a mutual dialogue. Often we found that the time allotted for the meeting was used up just as the discussions really started to warm up.’

The main responsibility for planning the meetings lies with the mentee. According to Hakola, the advance planning by the student and a good agenda help carry out the meetings successfully, but it's good to approach meetings flexibly.

’For me, the most important lesson as a mentor was that meetings don't need to be strictly structured, and goals and topics can partially change on the fly during the discussion.’

Mentors also benefit

While mentoring is primarily a development project for the mentee, discussions with the student provide food for thought for the mentor as well. Also for Antti Hakola, the Mentoring Programme offered an opportunity to reflect on his own career choices and their background.

’Mentoring was a journey during which I was able to really think about how I became who I am and how to convey my experiences to the student in just the right way.’

In Hakola's opinion, the best thing about mentoring is the opportunity to meet new people and expand one's own network and perspectives. He recommends participating in the Mentoring Programme to other alumni as well.

’Aalto's Mentoring Programme is an excellent way to meet new people, help them make choices, and gain a wider range of contacts than would be possible in everyday work.’

Text and photo: Kaisa Paasivirta

The next round of Aalto University Mentoring Programme will start at the end of 2025. You can sign up to be a mentor for doctoral or master's students in November. Read more and join us!